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John Rocker signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League on Thursday.

The left-handed reliever became the center of controversy while with the Atlanta Braves in 1999 when he made derogatory comments in Sports Illustrated about gays and minorities.

He agreed to a one-year deal with the Ducks.

"John Rocker wants to pitch on Long Island," Ducks pitching coach and former big leaguer Dave LaPoint said. "He had opportunities to pitch elsewhere and he chose to pitch here."

The 30-year-old Rocker hasn't pitched in the majors since 2003, when he allowed one run, two hits and three walks in one inning for Tampa Bay. He had surgery in July of that year to repair a torn rotator cuff, a procedure that normally requires 12-18 months of recuperation.

Rocker threw 94-96 mph and sometimes reached 98 mph while saving 83 games as the Braves' closer from 1998-01. He struggled after he was traded to Cleveland in 2001, with his fastball topping out in the low 90s, and was dealt to Texas before the 2002 season. He had a 9.15 ERA in 17 appearances with Double-A Orlando when Tampa Bay released him in June 2003.

Detroit Tigers: Outfielder Magglio Ordonez is expected to miss at least one more game with a viral infection.

Ordonez, sick since the end of spring training, played in Monday's opener and started Wednesday's game before leaving in the fourth inning with dizziness. He did not play in Thursday's 7-3 win over Kansas City and probably will miss Friday's series opener against Cleveland.

"We're not going to mess around with this anymore," Tigers manager Alan Trammell said. "It might be a day or it might be a couple. He's day to day right now."

Ordonez, who was limited to 52 games with the White Sox last season because of a knee injury, signed a $75 million, five-year contract with the Tigers during the offseason.

Palmer released: The club released veteran third baseman Dean Palmer from Triple-A Toledo.

Palmer, who hasn't played since 2003 and hasn't been a regular since 2000 due to shoulder problems, requested the release when he didn't make the major league roster on opening day. He is hoping to continue his comeback with another major league team.

The 35-year-old has 275 homers in a 14-year career with Texas, Kansas City and the Tigers. He drove in over 100 runs in his first two years in Detroit, 1999 and 2000, but managed just 87 games in the next three seasons before retiring. He announced a comeback this winter and was a non-roster invitee to Detroit's training camp.

Cleveland Indians: Left-hander C.C. Sabathia allowed two hits and one earned run in four innings in a rehab start with the Akron Aeros.

Sabathia struck out five and walked one. The Binghampton Mets got to him for three runs but two were unearned because the Aeros committed four errors.

Sabathia, who would have been Cleveland's Opening Day starter, strained his right side while warming up for a spring training start on March 6.

He is on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique muscle. If he doesn't have any setbacks, Sabathia will make his season debut April 17 against Minnesota.

Boston Red Sox: Wade Miller threw 60 pitches in an extended spring training game and hopes to make his first major league start in late April.

"Everything got better," said Miller, who missed much of last season with Houston because of a frayed rotator cuff. "I was trying to spot some pitches, work in some breaking pitches, and I feel like I was able to do that. It felt good."

The 28-year-old right-hander threw mostly fastballs and allowed five hits and one walk with two strikeouts. He threw four 15-pitch innings and faced 16 batters.

Miller thinks his next start will be for one of Boston's farm teams.

"Overall, I feel OK," Miller said. "I think once I get on a mound in front of a crowd and face some opposition, I'll feel better and I'll be a little more in tune with what I need to do."

Lowe to get ring Monday: Derek Lowe will receive his World Series ring along with the rest of the Red Sox on Monday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have granted the pitcher permission to leave the team to be in Boston on Monday to receive his World Series ring before the Red Sox play their home opener against the Yankees. He will rejoin his new team Tuesday.

"He belongs there," Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said Thursday. "It's not every day you get to do something like that."

San Diego Padres: Outfielder Eric Young separated his right shoulder making a catch against the center-field fence in the first inning of Thursday night's game against Pittsburgh.

Young appeared to jam his arm against the fence as he made a leaping catch of Jason Bay's fly ball for the third out. He grimaced as he lay on the ground for a few moments, then held his upper right arm as he got up.

Assistant trainer Jim Daniel helped immobilize Young's arm as they walked off the field. The extent of the injury wasn't immediately known.

Young was starting in place of Xavier Nady, who has strep throat. Nady started the first two games in center because Dave Roberts is on the disabled list with a strained groin.

Young had been penciled in as the Padres' third leadoff batter in as many games. Adam Hyzdu pinch hit for Young and replaced him in center.

Kansas City Royals: Pitcher Zack Greinke left against the Tigers after being hit by a line drive off the bat of Carlos Guillen.

Greinke, a right-hander, was hit just above the wrist of his pitching arm with one out in the third inning. After being examined by team trainers, he threw some test pitches, then left the game. He has a bruised right forearm.

Nate Field replaced him, with the score 0-0.

Minnesota Twins: A precautionary CT scan of first baseman Justin Morneau showed no damage after a pitch hit him in the right temple.

Morneau was hit by Seattle's Ron Villone in the eighth inning of Wednesday's game against the Mariners.

Morneau's batting helmet appeared to absorb most of the blow, and after about a minute on the ground he got up and walked off on his own.

After the scan Wednesday, Morneau was cleared to join the team's late-night flight back to Minnesota.

The Twins' home opener is Friday night against the White Sox.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The club placed starting second baseman Jose Castillo on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique in his left side and recalled outfielder Chris Duffy from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Duffy, who was to have played in Indianapolis' season opener Thursday, was expected to join the Pirates in San Diego for Thursday night's game. He was one of the Pirates' final cuts during spring training, batting .339 with one homer and 13 RBI, but has never played above Double-A.

Castillo was hurt swinging at a pitch by Milwaukee's Doug Davis in the second inning of the Pirates' 10-2 loss Wednesday. Manager Lloyd McClendon is expected to use the left-handed hitting Rob Mackowiak and right-handed hitters Bobby Hill and Freddy Sanchez at second base until Castillo returns.

Washington Nationals: First baseman Wil Cordero was placed on the 15-day disabled list, and infielder Carlos Baerga is expected to take his roster spot.

Cordero injured his left knee during Washington's game against the Phillies on Thursday. He'll have an MRI exam and be looked at again in Miami on Friday.

Baerga was reassigned to Washington's minor league camp last Friday. A three-time All-Star who played 13 major league seasons with six teams, Baerga hit .235 with two home runs and 11 RBI last year for Arizona. He joined the Nationals on Feb. 21 with a minor league contract.

The team claimed right-hander Travis Hughes off waivers.

Hughes, who was released by Texas, was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans. Hughes pitched in two games for the Rangers last season. He is 45-55 with a 4.02 ERA in seven minor league seasons.

Houston Astros: Brooks Kieschnick, recently released by Milwaukee, agreed to a minor league contract.

Kieschnick, a pitcher and outfielder, will report to the Astros' new Double-A affiliate in Corpus Christi, where he was a high school star 15 years ago. The Brewers released him during spring training after he compiled a 5.68 ERA in seven appearances.

Kieschnick, 32, started his pro career as an outfielder but started pitching some in 1999 before becoming a full-time reliever for Milwaukee in 2003.

He is 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 74 major league appearances, and he has a career batting average of .248.

A three-time Southwest Conference player of the year at Texas, Kieschnick was the 10th overall pick by the Chicago Cubs in 1993. He spent parts of six seasons with Chicago, Cincinnati, Colorado and Milwaukee.

Foreign-born players increase
Players in the major leagues born outside the United States reached a record 29.2 percent on Opening Day, a slight increase following a decrease last year.

There were 91 players from the Dominican Republic, 46 from Venezuela and 34 from Puerto Rico, the commissioner's office said Thursday. Mexico was next with 18, followed by Canada (15), Japan (12), Cuba and Panama (six each), South Korea (five), Australia and Colombia (two each) and Aruba, Curacao, Nicaragua, Taiwan and U.S. Virgin Islands (one each).

The percentage had dropped from 27.8 in 2003 to 27.3 last year following six straight seasons of increases.

Washington, with 16, had the most players on the list, followed by Baltimore, Los Angeles and the New York Mets with 13 each.

Kennedy Sr. dies at 84
Former Chicago Cubs manager and White Sox utilityman Bob Kennedy Sr. died in Arizona. He was 84.

A funeral service for Kennedy will be held Monday in Mesa, Ariz., said David Speakman, director of the Bunker Family Funeral Homes, which is handling the arrangements.

Kennedy, who was born in Chicago on Aug. 18, 1920, managed the Cubs from 1963-1965, compiling a 182-198 record. Beginning in 1977, he spent four years as the team's general manager.

During his 18-year playing career, Kennedy also worked the infield and outfield for the White Sox from 1939-42, from 1946-48 and then again from 1955-57. He also played for Cleveland, Baltimore, Detroit and Brooklyn.

Kennedy had a .254 career batting average, according to The Baseball Encyclopedia.

His son, Terry Kennedy, is the manager of the minor league San Diego Surf Dawgs of the Golden Baseball League. The younger Kennedy was a four time All-Star catcher in the major leagues and played on two World Series teams -- the San Diego Padres in 1984 and the San Francisco Giants in 1989.